The Moment of Truth

PEOPLE came from far and wide to meet atop Pussycat Hill on the northern side of Lake Dumbleyung on New Year’s Eve to witness the ‘active’ memorial tributing Donald Campbell’s success of achieving the World Water Speed Record in 1964. Designer and builder of the memorial, John ‘Jack’ Fewson, travelled from Perth for the day with his wife Judy to pay tribute to the record and to also check his workmanship leading into this special 50th anniversary year, just in case there had been any ground movements or settling over the years.

PROUD DESIGNER: Designer of the Bluebird Monument on top of Pussycat Hill, Jack Fewson and his wife Judy, who returned to Dumbleyung for the day.

Mr Fewson wanted to be sure that the beam of sunlight that travels through the exactly angled hole in the granite at precisely 3.43pm on the 31st December each year and travels across the brass plaque on the ground below the enormous granite effigy was still in synchronicity, after all it has been 29 years since it was first placed there in 1984. The wind was doing its best to dislodge the group’s eagerness and the clouds threatened to stop the sun and thwart the viewing, but as if in a fairy tale at approximately 3.30pm, the wind dropped, the clouds broke and the hot December sun warmed the rear of the granite casting the image of the state of Western Australia over the base of the plaque.

MOMENT OF TRUTH: The sun shines through the angled hole onto the brass plaque.

Everyone watched and waited with anticipation. And then it appeared. A circle of light on the plaque the size of a 20cent piece.
It moved effortlessly across the plaque until 3.43pm it arrived at the exact site of the miniature Bluebird replica that once marked the spot.
There was a spontaneous round of applause to honour the feat of the world record and the land and water double, and also to extend appreciation to the creator of this wonderful monument who was there.

WAITING: The crowd waits with anticipation for the monument to work its magic at 3.43pm.

It was a wonderful moment to share with people of like interest and enthusiasm for ‘The Man, His Story, Our Lake’ – the story of Donald Campbell and Dumbleyung Lake. In Dumbleyung, the Bluebird Interpretive Centre Committee and the community will be endeavouring to commemorate ‘The Man, His Story, Our Lake’ in the finest, most authentic, and respectful way it can with the resources and opportunities available to it on the 50th anniversary of the Bluebird’s record breaking run.

Owen Dare, designer Jack Fewson and Rodney Frost stand in front of the giant granite rock shaped like a map of WA.

Please consider joining the committee and community next New Years Eve, December 31 2014, as they promise it will be memorable.